The Vows
by magical realism
Summary: Jade West is marrying Beck Oliver. But who is she really saying her vows to? Jade/Tori. Reviews please!


Jade West was getting married. Seriously, these were her last few minutes of being single. It was all she could think about. She was the first of her friends to get married, but she knew from movies that deep-seated, heavy dread was not what you were supposed to feel minutes before you walked down the aisle. She smoothed down her taffeta wedding dress for about the third time in twenty seconds while her mother argued with one of the ushers, being as helpful as possible. Except that wasn't really very much at all. The organist tested out his instrument, hitting a few keys. Was it supposed to sound so ominous?

"Oh!" Cried her maid of honor, Cat, as she rushed into the back of the chapel were Jade was waiting to walk down the aisle. Cat shoved a bouquet of white lilacs into the bride's hands.

"I love weddings!" She gleefully cried as she took her place in the line-up next to Robbie Shapiro, who was sweating through his tux. Jade smirked, silently making fun at the hideously pink dress Cat had picked out.

"Show-time!" Jade's mother cried, waving her finger in the air to drive the point home. Jade gasped, feeling her stomach become queasy under two layers of Spandex and a corset. Her engagement ring suddenly felt like handcuffs. She'd be taking it off soon, though. This thought scared her more.

Jade had nothing against weddings, per se, but _her own _wedding? To Beck Oliver? That deserved more than butterflies in the stomach, it deserved a wrecking ball. Yes, she loved Beck, they had grown up together and she felt comfortable around him. But she didn't know if she wanted to spend the rest of her life being comfortable. She wasn't ready to spend the rest of her life doing anything, really. Jade squeezed her eyes shut as the organ music began and her father literally ran into the chapel and materialized beside her at the last possible second, eliciting a groan from her fed up mother. Jade took two deep breaths for good luck and started walking. She might as well being wearing an orange jumpsuit, because she felt just as attractive and was as excited about this as a prisoner would be when they got assigned clean up duty at the prison lunch room. Do prisons have lunch rooms? Jade wondered as she walked down the aisle on the most important day of her life. The dashing heroine from all the wedding movies would be thinking only of her husband, Jade chastised herself.

Someone caught Jade's eye. It was tan girl on the groom's side, smiling eagerly with gooey eyes. Tori Vega, in a mauve cocktail dress, waved sincerely at the "glowing" bride. Jade gave a small smile back, and then realized she really should be smiling. Jade painted on a bright, Joker-esque grin and continued to walk. _Ignore her._ She demanded. Jade tried to forget how, the night before her wedding; she had called her long-time foe in tears. She tried to forget the mechanical voicemail one the other end of the line or how she had been too scared to leave a message. She tried to forget how cowardly it was to call in the first place. _It's a sign._ Jade reminded herself. Tori hadn't picked up because the universe hadn't wanted her too. The universe wanted her with Beck. Jade had forgotten how much she hated the universe.

Jade focused her gaze on Beck, looking handsome in his tuxedo. She finally got to him and he cracked a relieved half-smile. He looked at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the room. Instead of being touched, it made Jade realize that Tori Vega looked at her like that every day. Jade shook her head slightly, trying to physically remove the thoughts. The preacher gave the introductions, as if a bunch of strangers were in the church and not their family and friends.

After a drawn out speech the preacher motioned for Jade to start her vows. Jade felt a single tear slip past her lid, she could almost feel her mother tense up in fear of ruined makeup.

"Beck Oliver, how much do I love you?" Jade felt like she was reading one of her school essays aloud to class, with the same level of emotional intensity. She silently apologized to the wedding movie heroine. "So, so much. But why measure today in quantity when you could measure in quality? I've loved you since high school." And suddenly, her eyes drifted to Tori and her mind went blank, her throat went dry. She gave a dainty cough, stalling for time. "And, um and… I will never stop loving you. I want to hold you when you feel lonely and vulnerable, because you would do the same for me. Every in here knows me, so they should all know how weird I am, so you must be a saint for loving me." This got a big laugh from the crowd, but Tori didn't laugh. "I want you to know that the future, the future is ours and we have to do with it what we can, what we were given. Honestly, I never planned on loving you. And I didn't, not for a long time. Sure, I entertained a school girl crush, but who didn't? It was you for crying out loud. No, I didn't love you until that one night junior year. We were both in a convertible, and you touched my hand and I knew that no one else could ever touch me like that because no one else owns my heart." Jade and Tori's eyes were still locked, a private staring contest. "We are destined to be together, I don't care what anyone says." Her voice was shaking with power. "I would fight, would fight, for you, weather any storm for you." Another damp trickle of water on her face, so caked in makeup she could barely feel it. "If I was up here, with some that wasn't you, I would want you to be all 'jerk in the movies' that interrupts the happiest day of the groom's life to win the girl back at the last possible second." A good natured chuckle rang out and Jade winked at Tori, even though it was so glaringly obvious by now. In fact, Andre and Robbie looked a little disturbed. "I want to be with you in any way possible, but I prefer every way. I love you." Jade finished her improvised vows and the world squeezed tight around her as Beck rattled off his, his voice thick.

"You may now kiss the bride." And Beck did. He gave her a long, fairytale kiss and the church erupted in cheers. But it didn't matter, because Tori Vega was no longer in her line of vision. Because Tori Vega was a guest and she was a wife and things would never be the same. Because they just couldn't be. Jade rested her head on Beck's shoulder, comfortably. And then came a frenzy of overjoyed people who couldn't sense her pain if she had broken down into sobs right there.

"_Come on; let's get ready for the reception." "I'm so proud of you!" "You looked stunning!" "Wow, you're so- so big now!" _

Compliments had been hurdled full-force at her, but now she sat in stony silence in the church parking lot. She twisted her wedding ring around on her finger; the flesh beneath it was already starting to turn red. It didn't fit. If that wasn't a sign, she didn't know what was. She should have ran. She could run now, she reasoned. Jade got up off the cool concrete block and bunched up her dress so it fell just above her knees. She wanted to sprint like a little kid; she wanted to be free like a little kid. She didn't want to be a boring, comfortable married woman. She wanted to be Tori Vega's girl.

Jade was frozen in place though. She didn't have any place to run too. She sat back down, her dress billowing around her like a cloud. She puffed out her cheeks and sighed. A lone figure in the empty parking lot approached her.

It was Tori.

Who else would it be?

She stared. They did a lot of staring that day.

Tori extended her hand to Jade. Jade raised an eyebrow. She took another breath and stood up. They grasped hands, intertwining fingers. Jade smiled and the two girls walked across the parking lot and into the building the reception was held in.

Jade let tori slip away into the crowd.

Then she joined her husband on the dance floor for their first dance as a couple. She let her face fall into the nook of Beck's shoulder to disguise her tears.

Jade couldn't help but wonder if the movie heroines had ever been in love.


End file.
